


Can't Gut an Idea

by Kestral



Category: The Ebon Ward
Genre: Gen, but it looks like it's going to be a while so i wrote it myself, i wanted something like this to happen in canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 06:19:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13874961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kestral/pseuds/Kestral
Summary: When racing to save some friends made in Yez'Modazz, Gnash forgets something important.





	Can't Gut an Idea

            The ruins echoed with footsteps as the group made their way forward. The symbols on the walls were old and unintelligible, which was not really notable to Gnash, but it was curious that neither Dia nor Maze recognized the alphabet.

            Gnash stopped, cocking his ears as he heard something odd.

            Suino looked back at him. “Hear something big guy?”

            Gnash listened carefully. “Music?” He said. But it was more than that. There was something familiar about the sound that he was having trouble placing.

            Then three gunshots rang out, and everything clicked.

            Gnash, Suino, and Dia all turned to look at each other.

            “No way,” Suino said, looking at her friends. “What are they doing here?”

            “Who?” Jasper looked confused.

            “Friends from Kragmurr’s Fissure,” Dia said. “We’ll explain later, it sounds like they’re in trouble.”

            The five of them took off running down the hallway. Following the sounds of frantic saxophone, Gnash galloped into the lead, his sword drawn.

            “Bossanova, I don’t mean to alarm you,” said a familiar voice. “But it sounds like more are coming.”

            “Don’t worry, I am already alarmed!”

            “We’re here to help!” Dia shouted forward. “Don’t shoot us!”

            Gnash burst from the hallway into a wide stone room with steps going up all around. Up high near one wall stood Bossanova and Zephyra, and all sides they were surrounded by grasping shadowy forms. Bossanova’s song skipped beats as he flashed in and out of view. Zephyra loaded her gun with incredible speed, firing three more shots into the nearest creature. It fell, but there were many more behind it.

            Gnash charged forward, swinging his sword in a great arc, bisecting one of the horrors that was crawling towards the pair. With a yell that sparked flame, Suino leapt in next to him. Maze raced forward, ducking and weaving to get behind their enemies, where he cut them down efficiently. Dia took to the air to close the distance between them and the cornered targets of the horde, while Jasper covered her flight with a rain of arrows.

            Within moments, the battle was won, and they all stood panting surround by gore and corpses.

            “I can’t say I expected that you would be here,” said Bossanova, dusting himself off as his image stopped flickering. “But I am so glad to see you.”

            “Hey Dia,” Jasper said. “Who are these fancy folks?”

            “I am Bossanova, and this is,” he paused, then turned, “Miss Belinda, enough people have called you Dia that I am beginning to suspect that your name is not actually Belinda.”

            “Ah shit,” Jasper said. “Were you under cover or something when you met?”

            “Yes, in fact, we were, but don’t worry about it dear.” Dia turned back to the pair of drow. “I’ll admit I feel a little bad that we never told you two.”

            “Still probably shouldn’t tell them everything,” Suino interrupted.

            “Don’t worry about it,” Bossanova grinned. “You have just saved my life, so I am feeling very charitable.”

            “Dia Diadem,” Dia offered her hand, and Bossanova shook it.

            “Excellent. Zephyra!” He turned, “Come say hello to our good friends!”

            Zephyra looked up from cleaning her gun. “Hello.”

            Jasper and Maze introduced themselves, and Suino waved awkwardly.

            “Still Suino,” she said. “Kinda assumed that my name wouldn’t mean anything in Kragmurr’s Fissure, so I didn’t bother with that fake name thing.”

            Bossanova nodded. “And what happened to your cousin, the little boy? Leave him at home this time?”

            His hat. Gnash abruptly realized he wasn’t wearing his hat. Not being in a city, being in supposedly empty ruins had made it slip his mind. And now it was too late. Too late for the hat.

“Uhhhhhhhhh,” he said, trying to think of any words that would make this situation go away.

            Bossanova looked at him with an expression of confusion, and then realization dawned across his face. “That voice didn’t really make sense for a little boy’s, did it?”

            Gnash felt all his muscles tense, but he knew that if he reached for his sword, it would only make things worse. It would confirm everything anyone thought about him; that he was an animal ready to go at the throat of civilization. But his instincts were singing. He was in danger, he needed to fight, he needed to protect, but there was no way to gut an idea. He couldn’t step in front of an accusation to take the hit instead. What could he do when his own self was on the line, and there was nothing to shield him anymore?

            Suino stepped in front of him protectively. “Gnash is our friend, and he is not going to hurt you, right buddy?”

            Gnash nodded, trying to look nonthreatening. “Would never hurt friends.”

            Bossanova stared up at him. “My dark god, everything makes sense now.”

            “Gnash sorry for lying.” He hoped it would be enough. Sorry was a word that could magically defuse a situation, he knew that. But it wasn’t a powerful magic. Sorry never fixed everything.

            “Don’t worry about it. And actually,” Bossanova took a deep breath, “thank goodness.”

            Zephyra, who had been observing the situation closely, swung her gun onto her back. In the same moment, Maze stopped studying Bossanova’s moments, and slipped his dagger back into its sheath.

            “Oh?” Gnash asked.

            “Yes. I am so intensely relieved that we did not bring a little boy into the business with the Entertainer. I feel just a little bit better about that horrid affair now, because at least I am not partially responsible for traumatizing a child.”

            Dia laughed. “That’s fair.”

            “Churchgirl,” he turned to Suino. “I need to clear the air. I have been wondering what the fuck you were doing bringing a child into this, but I was wrong.”

            Suino laughed as well, “Yeah, Gnash is no little boy.”

            “Was wearing magic hat, but just illusion,” Gnash explained.

            Bossanova smiled and nodded, then another spark of realization crossed his face. “I kept telling you to get behind me.”

            “Oh!” Maze said, snapping a finger. “This is the idiot who kept trying to protect you even though he’s made of paper.”

            “Gnash not say that!” Gnash said quickly.

            “Ah,” Bossanova winked, “so you’ve heard of me.”

            Zephyra walked over, passing in between everyone who was having a conversation to get to Gnash. “Hold for a moment,” she said, before putting a foot on his thigh and taking a step up.

            Gnash shifted his weight to balance as Zephyra walked up him. She stepped onto his shoulders, then looked around.

            “Yes, this is good. Very tall.” She sat down.

            “Looks like you have the Zephyra mark of approval,” Bossanova smirked, then looked back to Dia. “So, what brings you here?”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> That conversation in episode 25 about the struggle of living as yourself was a Big Mood. Watching Gnash sit there, afraid to be himself even in that conversation, really felt familiar and I just really wanted acceptance for him. So I wrote this. 
> 
> Also a line I wrote and then changed because I am either a coward or have artistic integrity: "He was in danger, he needed to fight, he needed to protect, but there was no way to gut an idea. DR did not apply to prejudice."


End file.
